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STRIPMALL BALLADS- (n. object) 1. A sonic linear and non-linear narrative form of self-expression. 2. A frame-work comprised of out-dated archetypes used to present forms not yet archetypical. 3. A song or tune that overtly recognizes the absence or demise of meaningful cultural traditions, and through that recognition, places meaning and validity on the evaporation of cultural traditions and practices.
Introspective darkness offering honest and vivid stories you just don't get in music these days.
-Eugene Weekly A bit of everything.... country, folk, noise, rock all mixed into a lo-fi package that really works.
-Slowcoustic.com |
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MINNER BUCKET RECORDS Presents
 i first became aware of phillips' work when he appeared as an opener for a barnyard electronics show. you see legions of folks holding banjos and acoustic guitars and stuff, however it is rare to encounter an artist in his particular league, capable of telling such rich stories, while weaving it all together with interesting music and delivery using these threadbare tools. his stories have the highest level of poetic vision, musicality, humor and pathos, delivered with consummate rough skill. you don't get to have that caliber of musical/poetic/dramatic experience very often, out there in the rude world.
so when i began the idea of putting out some of the perhaps unheard music that i admired, on cassette, with minner bucket records, phillips was on the short list. {minner bucket records has been quietly assembling a small group of artists who have found themselves committed to bringing the whole idea of songwriting/composing with acoustic instruments up to a new creative level.} we decided to have him have a go at the songs via home recorded four track cassette, a rough and strange way of recording in this calendar epoch. cassette four track has this weird compression, warble, and noise and stuff. all of which is destructively printed. it won't go away and you have to just deal with it. once you record one track, you've already painted yourself into a corner. it's like chipping away at a rock with another rock. however, the format's basic ease of use, and familiarity, allows the technology to get out of the way of the art. the vibe he got on this recording is nothing short of amazing. it's possible to make cleaner recordings, but for the vision and vibe to shine like this…that's a much better bullseye. i put in well over a hundred hours myself mixing, mastering, and doing scant overdubs on the raw tapes. it was pretty tricky because the work as it stood, was like a movie shot in super 8mm. the characters, color palette, and vibe/groove were already there in a rough-hewn, dreamlike way, the brush strokes so plainly visible. everything on the production side had to relate to that aesthetic. i trust you will enjoy and appreciate our efforts. the sound we came up with is more akin to the bedroom pop or twisted/noise/weirdo music, relating more to the landscape of the contemporary cassette release realm, which frankly i find much more sonically interesting than the typical boilerplate way most "acoustic" records are made today, and for the last 20+ years. let's go ahead and let the levels come up to the red. don't use very many mics. if the track feels really good, let's just release that. how does it sound on an old jam box or in an old car? is it sufficiently mono? we are super proud of the field, a lo-fi folk masterpiece from stripmall ballads. Featuring Stripmall Alum Chloey Accardi and J. Tom Hnatow Order directly from Minner Bucket Records or contact Phillips More info on WHY ON EARTH PUT OUT A CASSETTE?!? please visit Cassette Anarchy. |
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